Skids and pallets are of course in common use for transporting a wide variety of products. A circular pallet, intended to support a stack of spirally wound rolls of steel strapping, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,507,588 to Brandon et al; a square skid, which is also intended for transporting products of coiled form, is described in Good U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,528.
Typically, the supported product will be secured in place during transport, and such units will therefore normally be designed to accommodate straps or bands for that purpose. The above-mentioned Brandon et al patent, for example, uses its vertically oriented tubular spacing pillars for the receipt of banding material. In the Good patent securing bands are passed through circular apertures provided in the sidewalls of three supports comprising the skid structure.
It will generally be an important feature of such skids and pallets that they be adapted for shipment in bulk, since the intent will normally be that they be returned for reuse. This, coupled with the fact that they will usually be subjected to heavy loadings and rough shipping conditions, demands that the pallets and skids be of strong and durable construction, thus making many conventional structures quite heavy and cumbersome, and difficult to handle.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel, circular skid that is so constructed as to enable edgewise rolling, and to afford protection for the banding material used to hold the product in place.
It is also an object of the invention to provide such a skid which is readily stacked with other, like skids for efficient shipment in bulk, which is especially well suited for forklift conveyance, is strong and durable, and provides good protection for the product carried thereby.
Other objects of the invention are to provide such a skid which is of relatively light-weight, uncomplicated and inexpensive construction, and also to provide a novel assembly and a novel stack of skids utilizing the same.